Brock Purdy finds humor in the way he’s been critiqued since entering the NFL in 2022.
Despite famously being selected with the final pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, Purdy has proven he’s a starting-caliber quarterback by helping the 49ers reach the NFC Championship Game twice and Super Bowl LVIII. But to some, it simply isn’t enough, as Purdy, entering Year 4 as a pro, still faces public scrutiny.
Purdy understands that comes with the territory of being a starting quarterback in the NFL, but he can’t help but chuckle at some things he’s seen.
“Everyone has an opinion,” Purdy said Thursday on 95.7 The Game’s “Willard & Dibs.” “I’m not going to lie, I laugh at some things that I do hear. Obviously, I don’t tune into every single opinion. I’m a man of faith, so for me, I just take it one day at a time. … I don’t try to buy into what people think of me and who they say that I am. I know who I am.
“That’s part of the business and the sport that we play. Everyone has to have an opinion and a take, but that doesn’t determine how I live my life and how I go about my business.”
Purdy later specified which opinions he’s heard over the years that have made him laugh.
And rather than get down by the criticism, he’s learned to use it as fuel and motivation along his journey that continues to prove people wrong.
“The whole system quarterback thing earlier in my career, it was just funny hearing that,” Purdy said. “And I’m not going to lie, I took that as like, OK, I’m a guy who can come in and do what the coach says and win games because of that. So to me, that was more of a compliment and I sort of ran with that. Outside of that, I don’t really buy into anything anyone says.
“That’s been the story of my life. From being a late recruit from high school to college to the last draft pick, that’s the story of my life. I guess that’s part of my story, but I just continue to be who I am and not compare myself.”
Purdy has been called a “game manager” and “system quarterback” as naysayers believe 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan’s system and offensive scheme make it easy for the young quarterback to thrive.
One example from ESPN’s Shannon Sharpe can be found below:
Shanahan and several others have gone on record to refute the claim, with the coach flat-out calling it “ridiculous” to believe Purdy’s success is simply a product of San Francisco’s system.
And despite what others might think, Purdy has belief in himself, confidently proclaiming he’s a top-10 quarterback in the league.
This comes after the 25-year-old signed the richest contract in 49ers history, which a source confirmed to NBC Sports Bay Area as a five-year, $265 million deal.
As Purdy attested to, being counted out and doubted has been a common theme throughout his life, but he won’t let that get to him as his sole focus is leading San Francisco back to a Super Bowl and fulfilling their Quest for Six.
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